Resilient wheel



May 15, 1923.

s. p. WARNER RES ILIENT WHEEL Filed May 20. 1920- 4 Sheets-Sheet l May 15, 1923.

S. D. .WARNER RESILIENT WHEEL Filed May 20, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 L455Jl8 S. D. WARNER RESILIENT WHEEL Filed y 20. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 15, 1923.

S. D. WARNER RESILIENT WHEEL Filed May 20 19 Patented May 15, 1923.

httiltt .SOTORIOUS D. WARNER, OF KOKOMO, INDIANA.

RESILIENT VI HEEL.

Application filed May 20,

T all whom it may concern Be it known that l, Soronious D. lVARNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kolromo, in the county of Howard and State of Indiana. have invented certain new and useful improvements in Resilient lVheels, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to resilient vehicle wheels. and is designed as an improvement on the wheel "forming the subject matter of my Patent 1,376,788, issued May 3, 1921.

The general object or the present inven tion is to provide a resilent wheel. which will possess all of the desirable qualities of a pneumatic tired wheel, such as "resiliency, yieldability, etc, and which will at the same time embody no inflated cushions or the like subject to puncture and to deflation from other causes.

The wheel embodying the present invention is of that general type comprising cushioning members which are normally held projected through the medium of springs and which are yieldable in an inward di rection under load conditions and one of the important objects of the invention is to provide means for limiting the outward movement of these members so that the said members will, at their tread portions, successively evenly come into contact with the road surface and all will normally project outwardly thesame distan e. from the center of the wheel.

As in my said patent the wheel of the present invention has its cushioning members formed with openings which extend in the general direction 01'' the circumference oi" the wheel, and resilient annular bands are disuosedto extend through these openings and circumterentially of the series of cushioning members so as to assist in holding the members projected and also to cushion the inward movement of the members under load and impact conditions, and the present in vention has for another important object to provide means against which the inner one of thesebands may engage at the front and rear of each cushioning member as the inem ber is moved inwardly under the conditions stated, so as toadapt the said resilient bands to more eiiectually perform their cushioning function. y

A further object or" the invention is to compensate for play of the cushioning memb ers when moved inwardly under load and 1920. Serial No. 382,735.

impact conditions so as to enhance the flexibility of the cushioning device as a whole.

Another important object or the invention is to provide means for effectually guiding the cushioning members in their radial iovement and thus at all times maintaining the assemblage of members in proper an; tion to one another throughout the entire series.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the tread portions of the cushioning members as to add to the resiliency of the wheel.

In the accompanying drawings:

igure 1 is side elevation, parts being broken away, illustrating one form of the wheel embodying the present invention;

Fig:- 2 is a vertical sectional View taken in the plane of the wheel and illustrating the manner in which the cushioning members may yield inwardly; i

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the cushioning members;

Fig. i is a detail vertical sectional view illustrating the construction of the body and rim of the wheel;

Fig. 5 is 'a vertical transverse sectional view through a portion of a wheel;

Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview illustrating the structure shown in Fig;

T is a group perspective view illustrating an assemblage oi washers employed in connection with each cushioning member;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the wheel with one of the face plates broken away and illustrating the manner in which the cushioning members move with relation to each other under load conditions;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 and partly in section illustrating a modified form of the wheel;

Fig. 10 is a detail vertical transverse sectional view illustrating a non-skid attachment for the cushioning members;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view 01. the attachment shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a similar view illustrating a modified form of non-skid attachment.

The body of the wheel embodying the present invention, in all forms with the exception of that illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawings, is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and the same is preferably made up of a number of segments 2 disposed side by side and secured at their inner ends as for All) example by bolts 3, to the members of the hub of the wheel which is indicated, in general by the numeral 4. The assemblage of segments 2 is bounded by the rimcf the wheel which is indicated in general by the numeral 5, this rim comprising an annular body the inner side of which of polygonal form so as to provide a plurality of flat abutment faces 6 against which the Hat on er ends of the segments engage in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 2 the drawings.

For a purpose to. be presently explained, each segment 2 is formed with an axially extending bore 7 open at its outer end and registering at its said end with an opening 8 formed in the rim 5, and fitted within each bore 7 is a lining member 9 preferably of metal, the said bore 7 and the lining memher being tapered in the direction of the axis of the wheel, and the outer end of the lmmg member being received within the opening 8 as most clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The inner end of the bore 7 is reduced in diameter as indicated by the numeral 10 and the inner end of the respective lining member is correspondingly formed as indicated by the numeral 11 so as to provide a seat 12 for one end of a. cushioning spring which is indicated by the numeral 13.. In a manner which will be presently explained, the springs 13 are arranged to act with an outward thrust upon the respective cushioning members so as to yieldably hold these members in projected position and also for the purpose of offering yieldable resistance to the inward movement of the said membersl The rim 5 is formed upon its outer surface with a circumferential series 'of cups 14, each comprising an annular wall 15 concentric to the respective opening 8 and pro vided at its outer edge with an inturned annular flange 16 defining an opening 17 in the outer side of the cup. These cups are located one opposite the outer end of each of the segments 2 as best shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 6 of the drawings. The cups 14 are designed to house packing devices through which project the stems of the cushioning. members of the wheel as will be hereinafter explained.

As clear-1y illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, the rim member comprises, in addition to the body portion in which the openings 8-are formed, side walls which are indicated by the numeral 18 and which walls project outwardly from the lateral edges of-the body portion of the rim and extend continuously circumferentially thereof. The cups 14 above described are, of course, located between the side walls 13, and formed integral with the body port-ion of the channeled rim and with the inner s les of-the side walls 18 thereof are a plu ty of transverse webs 19 which project presently pointed out, the inner face of each side wall 18 of the rim, ateach end of each transverse web 19, is formed with a boss 21 of segmental form, the lateral edges 22 of the bosses defining, in connection with other radial bosses 23 upon the inner faces of the side walls 18, guide channels 24. At this point it may be stated that the side walls 18 and each two adjacent webs 19 form in effect a box or housing for the inner portion of the body of each cushioning member and due to the arrangement of the bosses 21 and 23, each side wall of each of the housings is formed with a pair of the guide channels 24. 7

Before proceeding to a specific description of the other features of the rim and the construction and arrangement incon nection therewith of the facing plates of the wheel, I will specifically describe the cushioning members and as all these meinbers in this form of the invention are of counterpart construction, a specific description of one will suffice. I i

Y The cushioningmember is indicated in general by the numeral 25 and the same comprises a body made up of a section 26 and a section 27. T he section 26 comprises spaced side walls 28 and a connecting wall 29 which latter, for a purpose to be present- 1y explained, has its outwardly presented face convex as indicated by the numeral 30, the convexity extending in the general direction of the circumference of the wheel.

The section 2? comprises spaced side walls 31 and a connecting wall 32, and this section is disposed to seat within the outer side of the section 26 and has its said side walls 31 offset laterally as at 33 so asto provide Thus the body of each cushioning member is formed with an opening or passage 37 which opens through the front and rear facesof the said body.

In addition to the body"25, each cushioning member comprises a stem 88 which projects from theunder face of the connecting wall 29 of the section 26 and is of the hollow tubular form most clearly shown in FigslQ and 5 of the drawings it being observed by reference to these figures that the. springs 13 extend into the tubular stems 38 and engage at their outer ends over studs 39 formed at the inner ends of the stems, the body 25 of eachcushioning member being disposed to fit between the side walls vided with openings42 in its opposite walls.

A packing of any suitable material, indicated by the numeral 43, is disposed within each gland 41, and the stems 38 of the cushioning members fit slidably through the openings 42 and are closely surrounded by the said packings 43. Each gland 41 is of a diameter to more or less exactly it through the openings 17 of any one of the cups 14 and in assembling'the glands with the cups, a split washer 44 is first compressed and sprung into the respective cup 14 to seat upon the outerface oi. the rim body and surround the opening 8 and the outer end of the lining member 9, after which the gland 41 is fitted into the cup" through the opening 17, and then another split washer 45 iscomnressed and sorun into the cup l l 2' i.

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so new engage beneath the 16. The washer 45 is of a diameter greater than that of the opening 17 so, that when the washer is sprung into place it will be retained within the cup and will in turn retain the gland 41. within the said cup. However the openings in the washers 44 and 45 are of greater diameter than the external diameter of the respective stem 38 so that the stems of the various cushioning members may have a desired degree of play, andv the glands 41 may move with them 'without interference on the part of the washers 44 and 45. Oi course as the cushioning members are moved inwardly and outwardly under working conditions, their stems will work back and for h through the glands 41 and will be suitably lubricated, the glands being retained as before stated,

within the respective cups 14 and at the same time being free to move back and forth in their cups to compensate for the play of the stems.

Each cushioning member has the side walls 28 of its section 26 formed with outwardly projecting studs 46, and fitted ontothese studs in a manner to permit of their rotation, are thimbles 47. The said studs and their thimbles are of such length or, in other words, project a sufiicient d tance from the said side walls 28 as to work in openings 48 formed at opposite points in the side walls 18 of the rim. These openings are of substantially U-shape, their bottom walls 49 defining substantially an arc of a circle and their side walls 50 being converged in the direction of the periphery of the side walls 18 of the rim in which they are formed. Fig. 1 of the drawings illustrates clearly the'normal positions assumed by the studs 46 and their thimbles 47 within the restricted outer ends of the openings 48, and Fig. 8 of the drawings illustrates the relative-positions which the studs and thimbles of several adjacent ones of the cushioning members will assume under load conditions. illustrated in this latter figure the intermediate one of the cushioning members is pressed radially inwardly through the vweight of the load im posed uponit and through its engagement with the road surface, and when the member is thus acted upon its studs and thimbles will seat within the broader inner ends of the openings 48. The two adjacent cushioning members wilhhowever likewise engage the road surface and sustain a portion of the weight but they will not be pressed directly inwardly and as a consequence their'studs and thimbles will ride a 'ainst the side walls of the respective openi 48 until they in turn are permitted to move outwardly under the influence of the re spective' cushioning springs or are caused to assume the main burden of theloadas in the case of the intermediate member. There will, of course, be sufiicient play between the ribs 40 and walls oi the guide channels 24 to permit of this functioning of the studs and thimbles within the said openings.

In order to limit the outward movement of the cushioning members and prevent the studs and the thimbl'es fitted thereon being carried bodily through the open outer ends ofthe openings 48, the faceplates of the wheel, which are indicated by the numeral 51, are provided upon their'inner faces at their outer peripheries with spacedbosses 52 designed to seat within the said ends of the openings 48 and close the these bosses constituting abutments tor the said thimbles for the purpose stated and as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

The face plates 51 are peripherally secured together and in place against the opposlte faces of the body of the wheel and the rim,

by means of bolts 53' which extend trans versely across the channeled rim and through the walls 18 thereof as well as through the peripheral portions of the said face plates,

eacl 1 bolt being located outwardly of and jected and yieldably resisting their inward movement under load and impact conditions, are indicated one by the numeral 54 and the other by the numeral 55. These bands are concentrically arranged, the band 54: being the inner one of the two. The bands 5 1 and are designed to normally assume a true annular form, that is to say when the wheel is not subjected to any load conditions, and at such time the band 54 will substantially touch the convex faces 30 of the series of cushioning members and the band 55 will substantially touch the convex faces 36 of all of the cushioning members. By reference to Fig. 2 it will be observed that when any one of the members is thrust inwardly as for example under load conditions, the convex face 36 of this member will press inwardly against and flex the adjacent portion of the band 55 causing this band to contact and similarly flex the band '54, and under these conditions the latter band will be brought into engagement with the rounded edges 20 of the webs 19 at the opposite sides of the cushioning member specifically re ferred to soas to decrease the length of the portion of the band 5 1 which is subjected to stress and thus cause the same to resist to an increasing degree the inwardmovement of the cushioning member. Thus as each member is moved inwardly its movement will first be resisted by theresiliency of the band55 and the resiliency of the respective spring 13 and as the moving force increases and the band 54: is engaged and flexed, the

resistance will be increased so that as a result the members cannot be driven forcibly inwardly in a manner to cause injury to the parts thereof but will be offered increasing resistance in ratio to the force exerted against them.

It will be understood that the bolts 53 serve not only to connect the face plates of the wheel but also to limit the outward the numeral 56, is bolted or otherwise 'secured at its inner periphery as at 57 to each respective face plate 51 and is struck out to provide a body portion 58 which lies in slightly spaced relation to the outer face of the respective face plate as clearly shown in Fig. 5 and to provide a pocket 59 open at its outer side to receive segmental dust plates 60 which are secured upon the opposite sides of the bodies of the cushioning members and which have overlapping lateral edges 61.

The segmental plates 60 are, of course, movable with their respective cushioning members and likewise with respect to the dust plate 56 and fit at their inner ends into the pocket 59 provided by the said plate and due to this arrangement dust, dirt, and mud are excluded from the working parts of the wheel.

The offset portions. 33 of the sidewalls 31 of the outer sections of the cushioning members are somewhat thickened and their outer edges are transversely arched as indicated by the numeral 62, and vulcanized, or otherwise secured to these arched surfaces are the lateral edges of the inner face of rubber treads 63. These treads are in the form of blocks of rubber, and each cushioning member is provided with its own individual tread block and it will be understood that thesaid tread blocks may be of any desired contour and that each spans the space be tween the walls 31 of the respective cushioning member so that blocks, being made of rubber, may yield inwardly and thus add to the resiliency and cushioning eifect of the wheel. w a

In securing together the two sections 26 and 27 of the cushioning member, it will in all probability be found desirable to pro vide, in addition to the bolts 35, a groove 64 in the inner face of each side wall 28, and a tongue 65 upon the outer face of each side wall 31, the sections being assembled, before introduction of the bolts 35, by slidingthe'outer section 27 intoposition between the walls of the section 26 and with the said tongues seating in the grooves.

In the event it is found desirable to employ in connection with the treads of the cushioning members means for preventing skidding]: may make use of anti-skid members of the form shown in either Fig. 11 or Fig. 12. The member shown in Fig. 11 comprises a transversely arched body 66 having its inner side curved to fit the tread block 63 of the cushioning member and to form downwardly projecting ends 6'7 each povided. with a slot 68 through which slots and the offset portions 33 of the adjacent walls of the section 27 of the cushioning member is passed a bolt 69. Due to the provision of the slots 68, the anti-skid member 66 may yield bodily with the rubber tread block 63 as will be readily understood,

and in this form of the invention the outer face of the block is provided with spaced flanges to grip the road surface. In the modified form shown in Fig. 12, the antiskid member which is indicated in general by the numeral 71 is of substantially the same construction as the member shown in Fig. 11 except that a single gripping flange 72 is formed upon the outer between the lateral edges.

As shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, the body of the wheel instead of being made up ofthe solid segments 2, may comprise a circumferential series of radial tubular spokes 83 connected as for example by integral webs 84 and slidably receiving the stems of the cushioning members.

One of the important features of the invention resides in the provision of a lubricating system, and to this end the body 1 of the wheel is formed, concentric to its axis, and in the sections 2 comprising the said body, with an annular lubricant passage 85 extending along a line transecting the reduced inner ends 10 of the bores 7 and therefore communicating with the said ends of the bores. A cap 86 closes a filling opening provided in one of the side plates 51 of the wheel and may be removed for the purpose of injecting into the passage 85 a suitable quantity of oil or other lu bricant. The lubricant thus introduced will be discharged into the shells 9 and some of it will reach the packing glands 4L1 and some will enter the tubular stems 38 of the cushioning members and will flow through ducts 87 formed longitudinally in the studs 39 and communicating at their inner ends with transverse ducts 88, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings. The ducts 88 are formed transversely in the heads of the cushioning members and open at their outer ends through the bosses 46 inthe manner most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5, so as to lubricate the thimbles which are rotatably located upon these bosses.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

-1. In a wheel of the class described, a rim having side walls, a circumferential series of radially movable cushioning members having body portions working between the side walls, the said members being free from intervening connections with one another and having circumferential play, the said walls being provided with guiding means each defining an approximately U- shaped path, and means upon the said body portions of the cushioning members coacting with the guiding means.

2. In a wheel of the class described, a rim having side walls, a circumferential series of radially movable cushioning membershaving body portions working between the side thereof side walls andfree from intervening connections with one another and having oilcumferential play, the said walls being provided with openings, the wall of each opening at the end next adjacent the axis of the wheel describing substantially the arc of a circle and having its opposite sides converged toward the tread of the wheel, and means upon the said body portion of the cushioning members coacting with the walls of the said openings.

3. In a wheel of the class described, a rim having side walls, a circumferential series of radially movable cushioning members having body portions working between the side walls and having circumferential play, the said walls being provided with openings, the wall of each opening at the end next adjacent the axis of the wheel describing substantially the arc of a circle and having its opposite sides converged toward the tread of the wheel, and studs projecting from the opposite sides of the body portions of the cushioning members and arranged to ride in contact with the walls of the respective openings.

l. In a wheel of the class described, a rim having side walls, a circumferential series of radially movablecushioning members having body portions working between the side walls and having circumferential play, the said walls being provided with openings, the wall of each opening at the end next adjacent the axis of the wheel describing substantially the arc of a circle and having its opposite sides converged toward the tread of the wheel, studs projecting from the opposite sides of the body portions of the cushioning members and into the respective openings, and thimbles rotatably fitted upon the studs for contact with the walls of the respective openings.

5. In a wheel of the class described, a rim having side walls, a circumferential series of radially movable cushioning members having body portions working between the side walls and free from intervening connections with one another and having circumferential play, the said walls being provided with openings of substantially U- shape and extending inwardly from the outer edges of the said side walls, means closing the outer ends of the openings, and means upon the said body portions of the cushioning members coacting with the walls of the openings to guide the cushioning members in their movement.

6. In a wheel of the class described, a rim having side walls, a circumferential; series of radially movable cushioning members having body portions working between the side walls and having circumferential play, the said walls being provided with openings of substantially U-shape and extending inwardly from the outer edges of the said. side-walls, facing plates provided with lugs upon their inner faces seating in and closing the outer ends of the openings, and means upon the said body portions of the cushioning members coacting with the walls of the openings to guide the cushioning members in their movement.

7. In a wheel of the class described, a rim having side walls, a circumferential series of radially movable cushioning members having body portions working between the sidewalls and having circumferential play, the said walls and the cushioning members being provided with coacting means permitting circumferential movement ofthe cushioning members upon their inward movement and guiding them to centered position upon their outward movement.

8 In a wheel of the class described, a rim having a circumferential wall and side walls, a series of radially movable cushioning members having body portions working between the side walls, each cushioning member having a stem extending through the circumferential wall of the rim, packing means fitting each stem, and means retaining the packing means assembled with the said circumferential wall and permitting of play of the said packing means.

9; In a wheel of the class described, a rim having a circumferential wall and spaced side walls, a circumferential series of radially movable cushioning members having body portions working between the side walls and having stems extendingthrough the circumferentialwall, the said circumferential wall being provided with a series of cups, and a packing gland seated within each cup and fitting the respective stem.

10. In a wheel of the class described, a rim having a circumferential wall and spaced side walls, a circumferential series of radially movable cushioning members having body portions working between the side walls and having stems extending through the circumferential wall, the said circumferential wall having a series of cups having outwardly presented open sides surrounded .byoverhanging flanges, a packing gland fitted onto each stem and housed within the respective cup, and means within the cup engaging beneath the flange thereof for retaining the gland'within the cup.

11. In a wheel of the class described, a body having a series of radial bores, a rim having a circumferential wall and spaced side walls, cushioning members radially movable and having body portions working between the side Walls and having stems freely extending into the respective bores,

s )rin s coacting with the inner end walls of the bores and with the stems for yieldably holding the cushionmg members projected.

and packing means fitting each stem and retained upon the circumferential Wall of the rim and movable with the stem to permit of play thereof, f

12. In a wheel of the classdescribed, a rim, a circumferential series of radially movable cushioning members, the rim having spaced abutment members each projecting between two adjacent ones ofthe cush ioning members, the cushioning members having passages extending in the general direction of the circumference of the wheel, and an annular resilient band extending continuously through the passages of the series of cushioning members and engageable against the abutment members. to be provided support and to shorten the effective length of the band when any one of the cushioning members is moved inwardly. 13. In a wheel of the class described,.a rim having side walls, acircumferential series of radially movable cushioning members having body portions working between the side walls, the said body portions of the said members, being formed with passages extending in the general direction of the circumference of the wheel and normallyin circumferential alignment with one another. throughoutthe series, an annular resilient cushioning means extending continuously through the passages, means upontherim engageable by the cushioning meanswhen the cushioning members are moved inwardly, and means extending between the side walls of the rim and engageable by the cushioning means when the cushioning members are moved outwardly.

14. In a wheel of the class described, a rim. having side walls, acirc'umferehtial series of radially movable cushioning members having body portions working between the side walls, the said body portions of the said members being formed with passages.

extending in the general direction of the circumference of the :wheel and normally in circumferential alignment with one another throughout the series, an annular re-- silient cushioning means extending continu ously through the passages, means upon the rim engageable by the cushioning means when the cushioning members are moved inwardly, and means extending between the side walls of the rim and engageable by the cushioning means when the cushioning members are moved outwardly, the said arr-- nular cushioning means comprising inner and outer resilient bands normally contacting respectlvely the inner and outer; walls of the passages inthe body portions ofthe cushioning members.

15. Ina wheel of the class described, a cushioning membencomprising an inner sec tion having spaced side walls, an outer section having spaced side walls, the outer sec tion being disposedto fit within the inner section, the walls of the two said sections being provided with interfitting ribs and grooves whereby the sections may be slidably assembled, and means securing the sections together in their assembled relation.

16. In a wheel of the class described, a

" cushioning member having a body provided with a tread portion, an anti-skid member disposed to span the face of the tread portion and having ends projecting beside the opposite sides of the said body member, the tread portion being yieldable and the said ends of the anti-skid memberbeing formed with slots, and means carried by the said opposite sides of the body member and engaging through the slots, whereby the antiskid member may move with relation to the body upon yielding of the tread portion.

17. In a wheel of the class described, a body, a face plate disposed at one side of the body, a circumferential series of radially movable cushioning members assembled with the body, an annular dust plate secured upon the face of the face plate and having an outwardly projecting portion spaced from the said plate, and mutually overlapping dust plates carried by the said cushioning members and fitting at their inner ends into the space between the face plate and the said portion of the dust plate.

18. In a wheel of the class described, a body having a series of radial bores, a lubricant passage extending about the axis of the body and communicating with the inner ends of the bores, a rim having side walls, cushioning members having hollow stems working in the bores whereby the members may have radial movement, and guiding means upon the heads coacting with the side walls to guide the heads in their radial movement, the heads having lubricant passages communicating with the interior of their stems and extending to supply lubricant to the said guidin means.

In testimony whereot I affix my signature.

SOTORIOUS D. WARNER. [11. s.] 

